Well, one of the most helpful bits of advice I've ever gotten, in regards to Meg, was from this board. I can't remember if it was Doc, DoberLuv, or Sammy, all of whom were enormously helpful when dealing with Meg's fear issues, but someone basically said "reward confidence". I took it to heart and used that in so many situations, looking for any sign of decreased stress and increased confidence, and it did wonders for transforming her.

Always make sure they are having 50 percent of the fun
Always enforce a command that you give
Always leave them wanting more

Read your dog, you have all the time in the world before you send them. This was at field trials.
This advice my old boss gave me helped in just about everything from how I made my decisions to how I raised my children.

__________________Go Petie GoGo Who Go!

love comes in many directions with mary

Side by side on the sofa sat three annoyed dogs and one smug catand then in came a little white kitten,

"We become better trainers by refusing to swallow uncritically what is tossed to us as truth,
by developing our powers of empathy and observation,
and by searching for better ways to teach and educate the dogs we love."

1.) Don't freak out over fear periods in puppies.
2.) Buy Control Unleashed (LOL)
3.) General tips on grooming from our very experience groomer at work. She's awesome! And has me wanting some kinda coated dog.

Not dog advice - horse advice, but it fits too: Never end on a bad note. If training (or anything similar) make sure you find something - anything good to finish up with, even if it is something super easy and already well known.

Crates can be your friend. I seriously would probably have murdered Aura if it wasn't for crates. She's not the dog you just walk away from when you're frustrated. She will rip apart a room just for the fun of it and not even think about it. Crates and a secure yard to put her in has saved (what's left of) my sanity.

Don't expect perfection. No one is perfect. This is especially true of my relationship with Fudge. He is so good at everything that occasionally I forget that he isn't perfect and put too much pressure on him.